Crash in the closing metres disrupts the peloton as Norwegian is the best of the sprinters

Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) sprinted to his fifth victory of the season in the third stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, between Givors and La Clayette. The Norwegian was the fastest of the sprinters at the end of the flattish 167km stage, as a crash from Ricardo Garcia (Euskaltel-Euskadi) brought much of the peloton to a halt behind them. Gerard Ciolek (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) was second, a length behind the 25-year-old, with Borut Božič (Astana) in third.

“The last time I won at the Dauphiné [the final stage of the 2010 race, in Sallanches - ed], it was raining on a hilly course and I won alone,” Boasson Hagen said afterwards. “It was very different but it’s always nice to win. I came to the Dauphiné for working for Bradley [Wiggins] but today other teams did the work at the head of the peloton. It was a good day for us with nothing to do until the very end of the stage when Team Sky kept Bradley up the front and I could sit behind.

“John Degenkolb [Argos-Shimano] had a flat tyre, that made the sprint with one sprinter less,” the Norwegian explained. “I wouldn’t say it was an easy win but I was good enough for winning. Possibly, other teams didn’t expect me to sprint after all the work I did yesterday but they can’t really have forgotten me.”

The stage was dominated by a 150km attack from Luis Angel Maté (Cofidis) and Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel). After attacking from the gun, the two Spanish riders managed to quickly open a lead of 5’30”, before being steadily reeled in by FDJ-BigMat and Argos-Shimano. The duo was caught with just under 16km to go and the sprinters teams - particularly FDJ-BigMat and Omega Pharma-Quick Step - kept the speed high to prevent attacks, but couldn’t stop a typical move from Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing) with 1.5km to go.

Gilbert was reeled in with just over half a kilometre to go, as the RadioShack-Nissan team moved forward; Roger Kluge (Argos-Shimano) was the first to launch himself at the line, but he was passed by Ciolek, Boasson Hagen and Božič before he reached the finish.

With most of the peloton arriving at the finish together, Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) held on to his one second lead over Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), and would wear yellow in the following day’s time trial.

Two Spaniards attack from the gun but never have a chance on a sprinter’s stage

Maté and Martinez escaped immediately and, as the peloton was reluctant to get started, they were 3’10” ahead after just six kilometres. After 18km - having crossed the 3rd category Côte de Saint-André - he duo’s lead had risen to 5’30”; Giovanni Bernaudeau (Europcar) took third place over the top of the climb behind them, retaking the lead in the polka-dot jersey standings, ahead of the previous day’s breakaway Blel Kadri (AG2R La Mondiale).

Argos-Shimano and FDJ-BigMat took control at the front of the peloton, and the leaders’ advantage stopped growing. Over the 4th category climbs of the Côte des Crêtes and Côte de Vindry the gap began to reduce; David Moncoutié (Cofidis) took third over the former - 15 seconds ahead of the peloton, as he visited some friends and family on the route - while Bernadeau took the final point over the latter, securing ownership of the polka-dot jersey at the end of the stage.

Over the unclassified Col du Pilon, with 76km to go, the gap was down to 3’30” and, qwith no real obstacles left, the gap continued to close. With 50km to go it was down to 2’40”, while at the 25km banner it was just 1’17”. As the race entered the final 20km Lampre-ISD, who had been loitering close to the front for some time, lent its muscle to the chase; as Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Team Sky began to pull their leaders forward the gap closed quickly and, with 16km to go, it was less than 15 seconds.

FDJ-BigMat and Argos-Shimano were still in control and, just a few hundred metres later, the duo was calmly swept up. The sprinters’ teams now had the task of keeping the pace high for the remainder of the stage however, so as not to provide an opportunity to counterattackers.

As the roads began to get windy, a number of the overall favourites began to move up to keep out of trouble. While FDJ-BigMat led the peloton down the right side of the road, Team Sky pulled Wiggins forward along the left, while Liquigas-Cannondale brought Vincenzo Nibali through the middle. The French team reasserted itself however, as BMC Racing brought Cadel Evans up to sit behind the men in white.

Omega Pharma-Quick Step leads into the finale but its Belgian rival has other ideas

Omega Pharma-Quick Step began massing forward as the race entered the final ten kilometres and, with just over seven left, the Belgian team took over from the one remaining FDJ-BigMat rider.

Several teams massed forward again as the final five kilometres saw more twists and turns, but Omega Pharma-Quick Step was not about to give up control, as French champion Sylvain Chavanel himself put in a massive turn. As the blue, white and red jersey pulled off with 2.5km to go, there were still four pale blue and white jerseys left.

At this point John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) - one of the big stage favourites and the rider for whom the Dutch team had been working all day - punctured. The German sprinter drifted out of the back of the peloton, angrily banging his flat front tyre on the tarmac, as his last chance in the race evaporated.

The pace was being kept high by Omega Pharma-Quick Step but, with 1.5km to go though, Gilbert attacked on a bend and immediately pulled out a gap. The Belgian champion was fifty metres clear as he entered the final kilometre, but Omega Pharma-Quick Step was refusing to panic and gradually pulling him back.

RadioShack-Nissan edged ahead as the Belgian champion was finally caught and, into the final few hundred metres the sprinters began to line themselves up. As Kluge began to launch his sprint Garcia seemed to touch the barriers a few riders behind him; thankfully nobody was hit by the Basque rider’s flying bike, but Markel Irizar (RadioShack-Nissan) rode into him as he rolled into the road.

Kluge had gone too early and, into the final hundred metres, was caught and passed by Ciolek, but the Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider had Boasson Hagen right behind him and the Norwegian rode clear as they reached the line.

Thankfully, Irizar was the only rider affected by Garcia’s spectacular crash, and all of the overall favourites finished safely in the peloton behind Boasson Hagen.